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Burns & Gambo

Glendale hears clocks ticking on Phoenix Coyotes' deal

PHOENIX -- Glendale City Councilman Gary Sherwood said he's well aware that other cities are interested in the Phoenix Coyotes and he knows it's coming down to the wire to keep the NHL team.

The Glendale City Council will discuss a complex deal that's in the works with the team's potential buyer Renaissance Sports and Entertainment Tuesday in a private session. No vote can be taken in the session.

"We certainly won't cave in to a deal that doesn't make sense but when you pencil out all the numbers it will be a large impact without the team here," Sherwood said. "We need to take that into consideration."

A Seattle TV station reported that leaders there have been in contact with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman about the Coyotes possibly relocating to Seattle if a deal can't be worked out in Glendale.

It's a somewhat unique fraternity to have professional baseball, basketball, football and hockey all in the same location. There are 11 other American cities that field teams in all four pro sports.

Sports marketing expert Ray Artigue with the Artigue Agency said the Coyotes are an enormous economic engine in the West Valley.

"Those lost hockey nights at the arena would be difficult to replace. So the facility would just sit there. And you can't put a price tag on the exposure the Coyotes' televised games give to the Valley."

And if the Valley lost the Coyotes, he believed it would be years if ever, before the NHL brings another franchise to the Valley.

About the Author

Have covered some of the biggest stories in Arizona including nine of the top 10 largest wildfires in state history. The Wallow Fire in 2011 became the largest fire in state history. Rodeo-Chediski Fire in June 2002, which is the second largest fire in Arizona. Covered the Yarnell Hill Tragedy in June 2013 that left 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots dead.

Favorite movies: True Grit, both 1969 John Wayne classic and the remake with Jeff Bridges and Lonesome Dove.

Sports Teams: Washington State University Cougars, Texas Longhorns, The University of Montana Grizzlies.